


People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine.

by kotabear24



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, References to Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 12:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/661932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotabear24/pseuds/kotabear24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry comes home with <i>stuff</i> all over him and reveals people were mean to him while he visited a friend. Louis cleans him up and makes him feel a little better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine.

**Author's Note:**

> References to homophobia, but it's not the point of the fic.

On any other day, in any other circumstances, Louis would’ve been thrilled to see Harry walking through the door.

But on _this _day, under _these _circumstances…Louis wasn’t. at all.____

____And it wasn’t because he didn’t want to see Harry. It’s because Harry didn’t like it when Louis showed his anger, and that’s what Louis felt when he saw Harry walking through the door. Pure, unadulterated, unbridled and uncensored _fury _.___ _ _ _

______But mostly, concern._ _ _ _ _ _

______Louis was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his iPad and smirking at the fans on tumblr. Louis wasn’t logged in – didn’t even have an account, because he knew that that way lay danger – but he scrolled through the tags and knew a few URLs that often had some things right and were well-liked, seemingly, within the ‘fandom’. Right then, the girls were going crazy, some sad and heartbroken and others turning into angry bear versions of their own mothers at the thought of Harry having to jump out of a friend’s kitchen window and call a police force, all because some idiots across the hall from Harry’s friend decided to talk big game behind a computer. It was sweet, really, how protective the girls were of them, but unnecessary. Harry had brought Andy, one of their security, and who would be stupid enough to tempt fate that way?_ _ _ _ _ _

______He heard people moving around outside his front door, and the distinct sound of Andy’s voice, comforting and low._ _ _ _ _ _

______And then the door opened, and Harry walked in, avoiding Louis’ eyes as he sniffled, something in his hair and ear and on the collar of his shirt, cheeks blazing red as he shuffled down the hall, not even calling out ‘hello’ to Louis._ _ _ _ _ _

______Louis’ iPad dropped onto the floor when Louis bolted up from his seat and he stormed down the hall to the bathroom, where Harry was. Louis didn’t bother knocking, but when he opened the door, he wished he had._ _ _ _ _ _

______Because Harry was pulling out of his shirt, the goop in his hair spreading, and his eyes were bright but glassy, and he was breathing a little heavier than normal. Random patches of his chest looked wet and a little pink, and as Louis reached out to touch his hand, Harry flung himself at Louis, wrapping his arms around him tight._ _ _ _ _ _

______Harry wasn’t _overemotional _, but he was quite sensitive, and although Harry could definitely hold his own if he were threatened, it made Louis extremely overprotective of him. Louis wrapped his arms around Harry in response and lifted his hand to cup the back of Harry’s head, groaning a little when he put his fingers right into the goop.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Harry, what the hell’s in your hair, love?” Louis asked, pushing Harry back a little._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Harry wiped at his eyes and took a few shaky breaths, not really _crying _, but there were tears falling from his eyes. “I – you know I went to Ellis’ today,” he said, and Louis nodded, wondering why Harry wasn’t looking at him. “And these – these guys across the hall from her, they, like – they found out I was over and I was headed to leave, so Andy went out and I followed, but they came behind us and started – started, like, throwing stuff at me.” Harry finally looked up and swallowed, and Louis tried desperately to make his face blank, rather than the mask of fury he felt it was.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Harry sighed a little and leaned in, resting his forehead on Louis’ shoulder. “They threw eggs and – and cake batter, and stuff, and fruit. Said I was – called me a fruit-cake and then – then threw all the stuff at me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Louis hugged him close, a million questions running through his mind, so he settled on, “Why didn’t Andy stop him?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I was between him and the guys, so he couldn’t – like, couldn’t put me in front, obviously, but he couldn’t reach around me enough to make them stop it. It wasn’t his fault, Lou,” Harry added on a sigh, and Louis nodded, agreeing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Alright,” Louis said after a moment’s silence. “Let’s get in the shower, clean you up, alright? Want me to wash your hair?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Harry nodded, so Louis unbuttoned his jeans and peeled them off his legs, the boxers as well, and then his socks. He turned on the water and undressed himself, pulling Harry in, and put him directly under the spray, moving behind him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Harry remained quiet, so Louis sang under his breath as he washed the cake batter and egg out of his hair, carefully getting it from around and in his ear before scratching dried bits off his neck. He moved around to check his face and the front of his neck, and he saw again that Harry’s eyes were bright and a few little tears were slipping, so he forgot about cleaning and hugged Harry tight, pulling him in and squeezing. Harry ducked his head and hugged back, only letting a few hitching breaths escape him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What happened, babe?” Louis asked, one hand combing through the wet curls at the base of his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Told you already,” Harry mumbled into his skin, shaking his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________But Louis shook his head and asked, “But what _really _happened?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Harry was quiet for a moment, and then he stood and grabbed shampoo. Louis, understanding the message, took it and moved around behind Harry again. That was a thing for Harry – he couldn’t talk things through if people were staring at him all the time. Louis would often speak to him in the dark, or in the car when he had to focus on the road. Otherwise he’d stare at his phone and pretend to care. Some people mistook it for Louis not really caring, but they were wrong. Louis cared._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________When Louis was scratching at Harry’s scalp, his hair drenched in apple-smelling foam, Harry spoke up. “They called me a faggot,” he admitted. Louis’ fingers stilled for a second, but he quickly started moving them again, not wanting Harry to tense up and hush. “And a bender, and – I dunno, they just said a lot of really mean things.” Louis made a quiet sound of understanding as he scratched at Harry’s hairline on his neck, moving up to near his ears. “I mean, I can – I can take it when it’s just…just stupid words. Like, I know I’m not fat. And I know I’m not stupid. And I know I have talent. And when people _say _I’m fat, or stupid, or I can’t sing, it’s just kind of like…like, ‘ _whatever, you’re just being nasty _’, and I can ignore it, mostly. But…I mean, I _am _gay.” He fidgeted when he said it, like Louis – his _boyfriend _– didn’t know he was gay, or something. Like it was a confession. Like it was _wrong _to be gay.___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Louis bit his lip and pulled Harry back towards the spray, trying not to get shampoo in Harry’s eyes as he thought of what to say and how to say it. Harry closed his eyes and Louis stood on tip-toe to get all the shampoo out, moving Harry from the spray and grabbing and squeezing at his hair to get the water out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________When he was spreading conditioner through the curls, he said slowly, “You know it’s alright, right? Like, there’s nothing…” Louis sighed. “Like, alright, people make fun of gingers, right? Because their hair is different, not blonde or brown or black. Right?” Harry nodded, and Louis kept moving his fingers, staring at the back of Harry’s head as he thought. “But it’s not…there’s nothing wrong with being a ginger. I mean, loads of people with ginger hair are smart and funny and attractive and talented and all of that. Loads. Having ginger hair is irrelevant when it comes to things like that, right? I mean, sure. Ed Sheeran has _flaming _ginger hair. But he’s still a lovely guy, he’s still an amazing singer-songwriter, he’s still insane with his guitar, he’s still funny and smart and all of that. His hair is just another thing about him like that. Like, ginger hair, blue eyes, tattoos, awful with kids. It’s all just _things _, and none of them are actually bad, whether people tease him about it or not._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“And you – you’re gay, Harry. You like boys, you like cock, you like being fucked. Sure. But you also like spoiling people, and you like your hair played with, and you drink your tea with too much sugar, and you’ve wanted to get married and have kids since you were thirteen, and you were a 101 Dalmatian for Halloween when you were five, and you’re _brilliant _, and you tell jokes that are so horrible they’re hilarious and perfect, and you like being told you’re lovely, and you sometimes have nightmares that you’re lost and stuck in the woods and you cry, and you like emotional chick-flick movies. Those are all _things _about you. And alone, they’re each their own little insignificant thing, but…but together, they make up the man I’m so in love with I can hardly breathe sometimes.”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Louis moved around Harry and saw his eyes squeezed shut and his lips sucked into his mouth, doubtlessly chewing on them. Louis cupped his face and stared until Harry opened his eyes, and Louis said softly, “Please, babe. Please don’t ever let things like that upset you. If someone could say rotten things to you or _throw _things at you or call you names like that, then they don’t know you, and they don’t deserve to.” Louis swallowed and wiped away little stray drops from Harry’s cheeks, unsure if they were tears or water from the shower. “You’re my very best friend, and you’re my lover, and you’re my brain and my heart and my soul, and you’re my confidant, and my soul mate, and my nurse when I’m sick, and my angel on my shoulder. You’re silly and too-tall and lean and covered in ink and gay and smart and loving and compassionate and jealous and paternal and athletic and charming and beautiful. And people who are mean to you are only doing it because you fucking _shine _, and they’re afraid of that and they’re jealous of that and they want it, and they know they’ll never shine the way you do.”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Harry leaned forward and hugged Louis tightly, and Louis felt Harry’s silent tears. He wrapped his arms just as tight around Harry and swayed them side-to-side a bit, rubbing his hands in soothing circles as Harry started peppering kisses to Louis’ shoulder and neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Finally, Harry pulled back and kissed Louis full on the mouth, his hands cupping Louis’ face tightly and his shoulders hunched up like it was imperative that he kissed him _right then _. Louis wasn’t complaining, and kissed him right back.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I love you,” Harry said almost desperately. “God, I love you so much, even when I can’t stand you, I love you so much I think my heart might catch fire, or something, I just – I really love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Louis smiled into their next series of quick kisses as Harry tried desperately to kiss every inch of Louis’ face. “I love you, too,” he murmured back, kissing him back. He kissed him a little longer before remembering the conditioner in his hair, and then slowly tilted his head back, stretching once again on tip-toe to reach and scrub it all out, running the comb Harry kept in the shower through his hair. Louis kissed Harry chastely and hugged him as he watched the last of the egg fall down the drain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
